What Breaks Us
by ladylibre
Summary: *ON HIATUS* **Adapted from the story of the same name by VioletsAreBleu with her written permission** When the unthinkable happens at a Lockwood party, Elena finds comfort in a surprising place. An AU Delena story loosely set during TVD Season 2.
1. Chapter 1

**Greetings, TVD readers!**

**You may notice from my profile that I am a Twilight writer. But I fell in love with TVD this summer—God bless you, Netflix!—and am counting the hours until Thursday, October 2****nd****. Anyone who calls me at 8pm will be unfriended for life! Though I think the heart of TVD is the bond between Damon and Stefan, I am Team Delena ALL DAY LONG. No other love even compares, and I fail to understand how anyone can't see that. **

**Anyway, I wanted to write a TVD FF, but as I'm working on an original novel and a few TwiFics, I didn't think it would happen anytime soon. But VioletsAreBleu was gracious enough to trust me with the rewrite and continuation of her Delena story, "What Breaks Us," and I am honored to do so.**

****TRIGGER WARNING****

**Chapter two of this story contains a sexual assault—it is NOT a rape, but it is an assault. The description is minimal and brief, but this savage attack is the central issue of the story. It is treated with the sensitivity and care it deserves, and there is NOTHING graphic/gratuitous, but reader discretion is nonetheless advised if you are sensitive to such things. I will mark the spot where the attack begins/ends for those who would like to continue without reading the actual scene.**

**This isn't the kind of thing I normally write, but I felt something meaningful and beautiful could yet come of this ominous beginning, and I hope you will take this journey with me. **

**Thanks again to VioletsAreBleu for trusting me with her baby.**

**And to my TwiReaders, what can I say? There's always room in my heart for another love story. And for everything else Delena is, Delena is LOVE. My TwiWork won't suffer, and I hope you give this one a shot.**

**This AU story takes place during TVD Season 2 but doesn't strictly adhere to established storylines. **

**Expect weekly updates every Thursday.**

**Here we go.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER ONE<strong>**  
><strong>

Another party at the Lockwood mansion. This to celebrate the end of first semester, the beginning of the second, or that it was Tuesday.

Not that it mattered.

Elena glanced at her reflection in a hall mirror and sighed. Blue mini-dress, black tights, ankle boots. Caroline was right about the eye shadow—it did make her pupils pop. For all intents and purposes, Elena could admit she looked good.

Not that she felt good.

Coming to this party was a deliberate waste of time, a distraction. Pretending to be broken up with Stefan to keep Katherine off their backs was proving more difficult than she imagined. The separation was worth it, though, if Katherine took the hint and left them alone.

_If_ being the operative word.

Katherine didn't seem the type to surrender easily. And if she wanted Stefan, she would stop at nothing to have him. And somehow Elena would have to figure out how to stop her.

Elena grabbed a red Solo cup from a hall table and downed it in one long gulp. She felt someone watching her intently, but she refused to turn around. Though they barely spoke anymore and he seemed to have moved on with that news reporter, he didn't seem opposed to staring at her whenever they were in the same room.

He could stare all he wanted—she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of noticing.

Tossing her empty cup in a trash can, Elena passed through a corridor and lost herself in the crowd.

When she thought on it later, she would realize her first mistake.

The man staring at her wasn't Damon.

*** W.B.U. ***

Damon scowled from his corner of the room, trying in vain to drown out the inane chatter of Mystic Falls' finest.

_Why did Andie have to work late tonight?_

It wasn't as if he really wanted her company. In truth, she was boring, predictable, and their private time together was nothing worth remembering. But it was better than spending his nights alone pining over a woman he could never have.

A woman who would never trust him again.

Damon reached into his jacket and pulled out his flask. If he was going to survive this night, he would need something darker and deeper than the swill offered by the likes of the Lockwood kid. His mysterious new cousin was here somewhere, and under normal circumstances, Damon might have used the opportunity to delve more into his sudden appearance in town.

But as his sixth sense tingled, he realized circumstances had just changed.

He hadn't consciously been watching Elena—despite what he'd promised Stefan. His brother's stupidity in submitting to Katherine's latest tantrum was eclipsed only by his insistence that Damon keep an eye on her tonight.

"Promise me you'll keep her safe, Damon." Stefan's voice nearly cracked with misery. "Don't let her out of your sight."

Damon had nodded, but inside he seethed.

Depending on his level of intoxication, Damon assumed Stefan was either cruel or blind to keep casting him as Elena's protector. Her decision to despise him certainly made his job easier, but his frequent deployment as rescuer grated on his conscience.

How could he be expected to ignore her, to deny the covetous cries of his heart when every time he turned around, she needed the type of savior Stefan couldn't seem to be?

But he would not ignore her tonight. Not based on the terrifying scream he just heard in the distance.

* * *

><p><strong>What do you think so far? I hope to see you here next Thursday—PREMIER THURSDAY!—for Chapter Two :)<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: TVD belongs to Plec, Williamson, Smith, and 'em, and this story originally came from VioletsAreBleu. I'm just having fun with their ideas :)**

**So I know I said I wouldn't update again until Thursday, but this chapter is where the action really begins, so I thought it best to share sooner.**

**Enjoy!**

**(and thank you, jmolly, for coming along!)**

* * *

><p><strong>**This chapter contains the incident. There will be a warning at the start and end so you can skip the scene if you want to.** <strong>

**CHAPTER TWO**

The Lockwood mansion, though larger than any three people could possibly need, boasted the most beautiful gardens in Mystic Falls. Elena never cared for such things before, but with her life with Stefan in perpetual limbo, a drunken stroll through the perennials seemed as good an idea as any.

She would later recognize this as _Mistake Number Three_.

Mistake Number Two was getting drunk alone.

The night was clear and cool, a forlorn moon casting an eerie glow over the colorful flora. Elena bent to inspect a wilted rose, its brown, frayed edges quite out of place in such a pristine place. She tilted her head at the blossom in empathy and plucked it from its thorny stem.

If only someone could pluck her from this Katherine-induced heartache.

Elena cupped the rose to her face, but a harsh wind carried it swiftly away. As she stood and prepared to give chase, she was knocked to the ground with bone-crushing force. Wincing at the sharp pain in the back of her head, she opened her eyes to find a man in a large hooded sweatshirt holding her down by the shoulders. Her heart raced in her chest, and Elena watched in horror as the man smiled.

**TRIGGER WARNING BEGINS**

"Yes," he purred. "Get that blood pumping, honey. The hotter the better."

Elena couldn't see his face, but as he leaned down with bared fangs, the truth of what he was stabbed her in the neck.

Pain. Searing, excruciating pain shot out from the twin points of contact on the left side of her throat and exploded through her body with every tug and pull on her veins. Elena screamed, her body thrashing uselessly beneath him, and the vampire raised his head, covering her mouth with an angry hand.

"A screamer? How delicious." He laughed again, seemingly satisfied by her terror. "Perhaps I should give you a real reason to scream."

Elena's eyes widened as the force against her mouth pinned her upper body to the ground. She felt him grab her tights, heard the ripping of the fabric as he snatched it away. Though most of his face was cloaked in shadow, a chilling sense of foreboding settled in her belly, and she knew.

He planned to do more than feed.

The icy wind assaulted her bare legs, and she flapped and flailed against him to no effect. He fisted her undergarments in his hand, and as the thin fabric disappeared, Elena felt the fight drain out of her in a fear-soaked flood of shame. Her body went limp, and she shut her eyes against reality, hiding in a safe place in her mind where this wasn't happening. A place where her parents still existed and things like this didn't happen in Mystic Falls.

Or anywhere else on earth.

She heard a low chuckle beside her ear, and his hand disappeared from her mouth to grip her shoulders. The menacing hand that tore her bottoms to shreds had yet to touch her, and she swallowed hard and braced herself. There was nothing she could do but wait, and with defeated resignation, she closed her eyes, apologizing to her body for what was about to happen.

Hoping they would survive.

**TRIGGER WARNING ENDS**

With a sudden whoosh of air, the weight against her body relented, and Elena was set free. Her legs were still freezing, her lower body still exposed, but her attacker was gone and she remained untouched. She rolled her aching head to one side, exquisite relief leaving her body in heaving, unsteady breaths.

But anxiety quickly returned when she realized she was still not alone. Fear crested in her mind, and she willed her limbs to move, this time insistent on escape. "No!"

"Elena?"

She paused, recognizing the voice. "Damon?"

"Hey." Though she couldn't bring herself to look at him, she caught the tension in his tone. The wound in her neck throbbed, and she wondered if he was fighting for control.

If he was tempted to do something awful.

"No..." She tried to turn away, but between the intoxication and incapacitating fear, she could barely keep herself awake. "Please, don't…"

"Elena, I…"

"No, Damon." Tears continued leaking from her tightly shut eyes. "Just leave me…"

"Elena." The words were a command, and she opened her eyes, startled by the pain staring back at her. "I need to move you."

She shook her head. "I can't let you..."

"I'm not asking." A tender finger turned her head to one side as he surveyed the damage to her neck. "We don't have time."

Panic surged, and her heart rate quickened again. "Is he coming back? Will he try..."

"No one will ever get this close to you again." His forbidding tone sent a shiver down her spine, yet she wasn't afraid. "Not as long as I'm alive."

She looked down, biting her bottom lip. "I'm hurt, Damon."

"I know." He cupped her cheek, brushing away tears with his thumb. "We're going to fix that."

He looked up to scan the area, his gaze decidedly above her waistline. With his avoidance, she remembered her state of undress, what he was trying not to see, and she scrambled to cover herself with her frigid hands. "No, please. Please don't look…"

"I haven't." He met her teary gaze as he removed his jacket. "And I won't."

The supple leather covered her to her shins, and the relief of not being exposed made her want to cry even harder.

Would she _ever_ stop crying?

"I need to get you somewhere safe." He did not look away from her eyes. "Blink if you trust me."

Elena stared at him, his arctic blue eyes taut and focused. She had so many reasons not to trust him: He killed Lexi and tried to kill Jeremy. He used Caroline and couldn't care less about Bonnie or anyone else she knew.

Yet as his gentle gaze held her captive, she recognized the impossible truth. That for every reason she had _not _ to trust Damon, she could. Against all reason and sense, she knew in her heart that Damon would keep her safe, that he would die before letting anything…_else_…happen to her.

Forcing her cloudy mind to focus on his face, Elena blinked once, slowly, deliberately. Exhausted by the effort, she laid her head against his chest and whispered what sounded like, "I trust you, Damon."

Had Elena been looking, she would have noticed a foreign expression ghost across Damon's face.

But as she was nearly unconscious, she only felt herself being lifted like a precious feather as Damon stood upright again. Checking his surroundings on more time, Damon tightened his arms around her and blurred out of sight.

* * *

><p><strong>Are you guys okay? That's as bad as it will ever get, but let me know, okay?<strong>

**See you Thursday with Chapter 3! #PremierThursday #TVDS6**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: TVD belongs to Plec, Williamson, Smith, and 'em, and this story originally came from VioletsAreBleu. I'm just having fun with their ideas :)**

**I couldn't wait until Thursday…here's a little more. But I will be back on Premiere Day and would love to see you here too!**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER THREE<strong>

Damon arrived at his car, cradling the shivering Elena in one hand as he opened the door with the other. Pushing the front seat up, he attempted to settle her in the back. She hadn't made a sound since they left the garden, and he hoped she had fallen asleep.

But as soon as he went to withdrew, Elena's eyes opened wide in horror. "No, no, Damon!"

"Elena, it's all right. We're at my car, and…"

"No, please!" She fisted his shirt in her frigid hands, shaking her head. "Please don't leave me! Please, Damon, don't…"

"All right. It's all right." He took her hands in his, caressing them into stillness. "I won't leave you."

He was parked on the edge of the Lockwood property, too far away to be heard by even the keenest vampire ears. Glancing down at Elena's frightened face, he came to a decision. Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out his cell phone without releasing his hold on Elena.

It rang four times before an incredulous voice answered. "What the hell do you want?"

"Caroline, I need you to…"

"Oh, of course you need something." Damon could almost see her blue eyes rolling in aggravation. "It's not as if you are capable of calling me for any other reason. Did it ever occur to you that I might actually need something sometimes?"

It was only Elena's tender expression that kept him from calling her a colorful name. "Caroline, now is not the…"

"And anyway, why do you still have my number in your phone? I can only imagine what my nickname is. Probably something really original like 'Blonde Booty Call' or 'Last Resort.' Ugh! I'm disgusted just thinking about the way I let you…"

"Caroline!"

"What?"

He sighed, long and heavy. "I need you to find Bonnie and meet me at my car right now."

"Why on earth would I…"

"It's not for me. It's…" His voice tightened with emotion. "It's Elena."

"Elena? I haven't seen her in a…" She trailed off, and he imagined her looking around. "Damon, where is she? If you've laid even a finger on her, I swear on Chanel's spring clothing line that I will…"

"Caroline, please," Elena moaned from Damon's lap. "Just come."

The line was so silent that Damon thought she hung up. After a moment, he heard, "We'll be right there."

Damon ended the call and tucked the phone into his front pocket. Elena rested her head against him, sighing. "Thank you."

"How do you feel?"

She shrugged, wincing with the effort. "My head hurts."

As if commanded by her pain, his hand found its way to the side of her head and began stroking gently. She sighed, relaxing a bit further, and Damon heard his cell phone ring. Stefan's assigned tones cut through the quiet, and as the call went to voicemail, Damon stifled a stab of guilt.

_Even when I'm right, I'm wrong._

*** W.B.U. ***

One look at Damon's face, and Bonnie knew not to ask any questions. She opened the passenger side door and glanced at Caroline, who climbed into the backseat with Elena as Damon climbed out on the other side. Bonnie pretended not to notice how reluctantly Elena let Damon go, the tense lines in his face as he sat in the driver's seat.

She also pretended Damon hadn't noticed she'd noticed.

"It's okay, Elena." Caroline held her best friend's hand. "We'll get you home, and…"

"No," Elena said with a cough. "I can't go home."

"Why not?" Bonnie asked.

"I can't face Jenna or Jeremy, and I just…."

Bonnie looked at Caroline in the rear-view mirror. "We can go to my Grams' place. It's quiet and comfortable, and no one will bother you there."

Elena nodded, leaning her head back against the seat. "Thank you."

Damon started the car without a word, and for a while, the ride was silent save Elena's breathing and Caroline's huffs of anxiety and concern. Bonnie tried to keep her mind clear, to be the presence of reason in case someone said something unfortunate.

With Damon and Caroline in closed quarters, one could never rule that out completely.

"Are you comfortable, Elena?" Bonnie asked as Damon turned a corner faster than necessary.

"Yeah." Bonnie heard the smile she tried to force into her voice. "There's plenty of room back here."

"God," Caroline groaned. "I don't even want to think about what else might be lurking in these…"

"Caroline!" Bonnie hissed.

"Sorry," she muttered.

Damon didn't react or reply, but Bonnie noticed his grip tightening around the steering wheel. She pulled out her compact and used the mirror to glare at Caroline.

"Sorry," she mouthed again.

When they arrived at the house, Bonnie got out of the front seat and helped Elena out of the back. Once Caroline closed the door behind them, Damon looked at Bonnie. "You got it from here?"

Bonnie nodded. "Yes, thank y—"

But Damon had already pulled off.

*** W.B.U. ***

Damon drove and drove and drove, testing his car's endurance with each press of the pedal. Traffic signals and honking horns meant nothing, and if he had his way he would never have stopped driving.

Not until the urge to kill left his body.

He reflected on the worst moments of his immortal life: Learning Stefan had killed their father. Opening the Katherine-free tomb. Realizing she only loved Stefan. Realizing Elena only loved Stefan.

Killing Jeremy because Elena only loved Stefan.

But tonight…the look in Elena's eyes…

He didn't think he would survive it.

Damon pulled onto the shoulder of the road and cut the engine. Running a hand down his face, he tried to calm down. He envisioned Elena's face—not awash in terror as it had been tonight, but as it normally looked. He focused on her serene smile and teasing eyes. He remembered her zest for life and respect for humanity.

And he realized slaughtering a whole town in the name of her sorrow would defeat its own purpose.

But oh, how he ached! How he itched to destroy something, to grab someone and drain them dry. Then another and another and anot—

No. No feeding on innocents tonight.

Though uncertain of where in the world he was, Damon figured he could track down some unsavory bottom-feeders who would deserve death-by-draining. He could justify his actions by claiming to have rid the world of an element it didn't need.

"_Be the better man, Damon."_

Damon cursed under his breath, hating how she taunted him even when she wasn't around. Her hooks were in too deep. She owned too much of him, and he needed to break free.

"_I trust you, Damon."_

He pounded on the steering wheel, his hands clenched to the point of pain. He couldn't go on this way. There would have to be a release. Some way of expelling this wretched fury from his soul before it consumed him from the inside out.

His phone rang in his pocket, and he almost tossed it out of the open window in frustration. And when he saw Andie's number, the tension in his chest tightened.

"Now's not a good time," he said in lieu of a greeting.

"I'm dooone!" Andie sang. "And I want you to come over."

"No, you don't. Not the way I feel."

"Yes, I do, Damon. I'm here for whatever you need, remember?"

He shook his head. "Not tonight."

"Yes, tonight," she said firmly. "The door's unlocked. Don't make me wait."

Damon closed the phone, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. She didn't know what she was asking, couldn't imagine what she was getting herself into.

But he cast those thoughts aside as he put the car in gear and drove back to Mystic Falls.

* * *

><p><strong>See you Thursday!<strong>

**xo**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: TVD belongs to Plec, Williamson, Smith, and 'em, and this story originally came from VioletsAreBleu. I'm just having fun with their ideas :)**

**Soooo…it took me a minute to pick my jaw off the floor after that Season 6 Premiere—Happy pancakes?! WOW—but here I am with the next installment.**

**Here we go! :)**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER FOUR<strong>

Elena stared at her reflection in the modest mirror in Grams' hall bathroom. She knew Caroline and Bonnie were waiting in the next room, could practically feel the maternal energy radiating from their hearts.

Elena almost smiled. It was nice to be so cared for.

She tried not to look at the large bandage on the left side of her neck, a bandage Caroline assured her would more closely match her skin tone than the basic beige offered by the likes of Johnson & Johnson. She tried not to think about how violated she felt, a level of filth and disgust not even three scrub-downs with a scratchy rag could erase.

But when she closed her eyes, all she saw was a maniacal smile and sharp teeth. All she felt was the loss of her modesty, the icy air against her bare body, and the paralyzing fear of being overpowered. And all she wondered was how she was supposed to go about the rest of the night, the rest of her life without that shadow haunting her every move?

She thought about everything she'd endured in the past year. Her parents' death, breaking up with Matt, meeting Stefan, learning the truth about Stefan, Grams' death, meeting Katherine, discovering John was her father.

Hadn't she reached her limit? Wasn't that enough for one year? One lifetime?

How much more was she supposed to survive?

A loud knock on the door snapped her train of thought, and she realized the person had been knocking for a while. "Yeah?"

"Are you okay?" Bonnie asked. "You've been in there for more than an hour."

"I'm fine." Her voice sounded off, even to her own ears. "I'll be out in a second."

She ran some cool water and splashed it on her face, patting it dry with the provided towel. Surveying herself one last time, she took a deep breath and opened the door.

"How are you feeling?" Caroline asked as Elena cut out the light.

"Much better, thanks." She looked down at her heart-themed pajamas. "I can't believe these still fit."

"And I can't believe we ever thought they were cute." Caroline frowned. "That combination of pink and red is just garish."

"Always focused on the important stuff, Caroline." Bonnie entered the room with a cup of fragrant tea and a smile. "My Grams had a ball with us that weekend. She said it was the best Valentine's Day she could tell me about."

Caroline's eyes widened. "She said that?"

Bonnie cringed, handing Elena her tea. "I didn't even want to know what she meant by that."

As their banter continued, Elena realized they were trying to distract her from the night's events. She hadn't yet told them anything and didn't know if she could bring herself to say the words. As they drove away from the Lockwoods, she'd hoped she wouldn't have to, that as she tried to get herself together, Bonnie and Caroline could get answers from Damon.

Her gaze darted to his leather jacket, strewn across the foot of the bed, and she felt a pang in her heart.

For every other pain she endured tonight, Damon's abrupt departure wounded her differently. She wanted to think he was giving her space and trying to respect that her current caregivers couldn't stand the sight of him. Though it contradicted his rude reputation, Elena believed Damon was trying to help.

But she couldn't pretend his absence didn't also hurt.

Caroline's aggravated groan brought Elena out of her thoughts, and she tuned in to their conversation. "I mean, if Matt was going to be like that, then why bother to kiss me when I walk in?"

"Because boys are dumb," Bonnie said. "Jeremy spent the entire night staring at me from across the room. But when I went over to say Hi, he blew me off."

"Any boys behave badly with you, Ele—" Caroline's eyes widened in embarrassment. "Oh my god. I mean…did you…um…"

"It's okay." Elena smiled. "I know what you meant. And…for the most part, all the boys I ran into tonight were nice to me." The look in Damon's eyes flooded her mind, and she relaxed a bit. "Most of them."

"Awww!" Caroline gushed. "See? That's what I want in my life. A man who makes me smile through the bad times. Not some wishy-washy boy who plays games with my heart at lackluster Lockwood parties."

"What are you talking about?" Elena asked.

"Stefan, duh!" Caroline grabbed Elena's phone where it charged on the nightstand. "And if you want us to leave while you call him, we totally…"

"I'm not calling Stefan." Elena took her phone and set it back on the table.

"Don't worry." Bonnie glanced at her watch. "It's not that late. And after the night you've had, I'm sure he'd…"

"I don't want to talk to Stefan." Elena tucked her hair behind her ears. "Not about this."

"Elena, I can't imagine how you must feel right now." Caroline scooted closer to her on the bed. "But I really think it would help to…"

"No, I don't want him to know, okay? So could you drop it? Please?"

"It's your call, Elena." Bonnie glanced at Caroline meaningfully. "And we'll respect whatever you decide."

Elena looked at Caroline who looked away. "Fine. Then what should I tell him when he texts me in an hour and asks where you are?"

"Tell him I'm with Bonnie. You didn't come because your mother grounded you for some dumb reason, but you're sure I'm okay."

"Are you?" Bonnie asked gently. "Okay, I mean?"

Elena swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Not yet. But I will be."

"Okay, so what about school tomorrow?" Caroline asked.

"Personal health day," Elena said. "I'm staying here."

"Me too," Bonnie said.

"And I'll just take my physics test after school on Thursday," Caroline said. "More time to study, right?"

Bonnie smiled. "Right."

"What about Jeremy?" Caroline asked as if going down a mental checklist.

"Ooh." Elena looked at Bonnie. "I definitely don't want to talk to him."

"I'll take care of him," Bonnie said. "He's so scared I'll want to talk about us that he'll accept whatever I say."

"Could you also tell Jenna…something?" Elena asked. "I wouldn't want her to worry."

"I think you should text her yourself," Bonnie said. "Hearing from me will make her think you're either drunk or spending the night with Stefan. Just say you're crashing with me because I'm tired of being alone while my dad is out of town."

"Thank you, Bonnie." Elena reached for her hand. "For everything."

Bonnie squeezed back. "Always."

Caroline looked around the room, fighting the urge to repeat her opinion about calling Stefan, and she noticed Damon's leather jacket at the foot of the bed. She also noted how often Elena's gaze landed on it.

And she reached her limit.

"I'm sorry," Caroline blurted out. "I know you've had a craptacular night, and you probably just want to sleep right now, but what the hell were you doing with Damon?"

* * *

><p><strong>If you're here, show me some love below. See you soon next week with more! :)<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: TVD belongs to Plec, Williamson, Smith, and 'em, and this story originally came from VioletsAreBleu. I'm just having fun with their ideas :)**

**I was supposed to post this earlier, but TVD 6x2 ruined me. I still don't know how I'm supposed to survive this season, but I'm more enthralled than ever. **

**Anyway I was going just update tomorrow, but since I'm still too upset to sleep, I'm here now.**

**Here ya go :)**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER FIVE<strong>

Sunlight streamed through the window, blinding Damon as he opened one eye. Groaning inwardly, he surveyed his surroundings as his body adjusted to wakefulness.

Clothes on the floor.

Broken furniture.

Bloodstains on the sheets.

He raised his head and looked at the woman sleeping beside him. The bruises on her body had begun to heal, but that wasn't enough to erase his shame.

He shouldn't have come last night.

He was rough, careless and unfeeling as he fed from her. Though she repeatedly gave her consent, he shouldn't have allowed it. He should have made a different choice for her.

He should have been the better man.

And whatever he did, he should not have slept with her. Not when someone else was so firmly on his mind, when another face and series of sighs haunted him with every push and pull of their bodies. He had never denied using Andie before, but what he did last night was beneath him on his worst day.

Never had he hated himself so much.

"Damon?"

He froze, intending to feign sleep. But she mumbled something he didn't catch and rolled onto her side, curling up with her pillows. Damon expelled a relieved breath, grateful he could avoid her for a little longer.

At least until he figured out what to say.

He'd never made Andie any promises, never gave her any illusions about who and what he was. He was a vampire, and vampires drank from people. It was a fact of life, the law of nature or whatever ruled him now. He couldn't survive on bunnies and Bambi, and he wasn't about to start now.

But as he reflected on the events of the evening, he came to a sobering yet not completely foreign conclusion: Being a vampire was fate. Being a monster was failure. And for everything he may have done right last night, he failed Andie.

And all the compulsion in the world couldn't make that right.

A dull buzzing noise on the far side of the room got his attention, and he slid out of bed to grab the phone from his pants' pocket. He still hadn't figured out what to tell Stefan and hoped this wasn't him calling for information he couldn't share.

But when he saw the message's sender, he almost wished it had been his brother.

He pulled on his jeans with a string of muttered complaints and grabbed the rest of his clothes. Dressing in Andie's living room, Damon closed the front door without a sound and drove away, ignoring the digital summons for the time being.

*** W.B.U. ***

"It took you long enough." Bonnie stood with her arms folded as Damon approached the house. "I messaged you four hours ago."

"You'll forgive me if I wasn't exactly itching for the inquisition."

She arched a brow. "Under the circumstances, I would think you'd have gotten here sooner."

"I could leave now, Witchy Witch, if my tardiness is such a problem."

"You mean like you did last night?" Bonnie stormed off the porch and into his personal space. "Yeah, thanks for that. So much for being there for Elena."

Damon rolled his eyes to hide the pang of guilt her name inspired. "What do you want, Bennett?"

"I want to know what happened."

"See? This is why I didn't want to come here."

""I'm not accusing you of anything." Bonnie held up her hands in deference. "I'm trying to get some answers since Elena won't provide any."

"What do you mean?"

"She hasn't said anything about it, not one detail. We're trying not to think the worst, but the way she clams up and stares at nothing." Bonnie shook her head sadly. "It's hard not to."

Damon studied Bonnie for a long moment. She was Elena's best friend and only wanted to help. But was it his place to share what Elena apparently wanted to keep secret?

"I don't need details," Bonnie continued, "I just…I have to know. It's eating me up to think she was…"

"It wasn't the worst."

She blinked away tears. "Are you sure?"

"She hit her head, and her body is probably sore. But he didn't…" He gritted his teeth. "…touch her."

She nodded, the relief on her face disappearing after a moment. "She won't let us call Stefan."

Damon closed his eyes, fighting a sudden headache. "That's her call," he said tightly.

"I agree." Bonnie raised her chin. "But I'm concerned she's not really dealing with this. Whatever happened scared her enough to keep her screaming all night."

He was in her face immediately. "What?"

"She thrashed and cried out all night long. I don't think she slept more than a few minutes at a time."

Damon turned away, anger rising in his throat like bile. The lust for violence simmered under his fingertips, and he fisted his hands at his sides to keep from lashing out.

"Do you know who did this?" she asked. When Damon shook his head, she rolled her eyes. "Why didn't you go after him? Use your homicidal urges for good for once?"

"And just how could I do that and care for Elena at the same time?"

"Caring for Elena isn't your job, Damon."

"Try telling my absentee brother that."

As they stared at each other, Damon thought he saw a shadow of regret pass over Bonnie's face. Regardless, their conversation was drifting into choppy waters, and he wanted no more part of it.

"Is that it?"

"No." Bonnie rubbed her arms against the afternoon chill. "Elena is asking for you."

"What?"

"She wants to see you. That's why I sent the text."

He narrowed his eyes. "Why didn't she message me herself?"

"Because I wanted to see you first."

She turned toward the house, and Damon reluctantly followed. He paused at the threshold as she walked in, looking anywhere but at her.

"You can come in," she said. "For Elena's sake."

He stepped into the house, the novelty not lost on him, and waited in the living room.

"She's upstairs," Bonnie said. "I'll tell Caroline to come down."

Damon looked around the room, noting the pictures of Sheila sprinkled on the mantle and side tables. He couldn't help but imagine her frowning at his presence in her house, and the thought somehow made him feel at ease.

"Are you serious?" Caroline poorly whispered as she came downstairs. "Why should I leave to accommodate him? If anything, he should have to…" She fixed an icy glare on him as she grabbed her purse. "Don't upset her," she hissed at him. "She's had enough of that for one lifetime."

Bonnie offered an apologetic smile as she closed the door behind them. Damon waited for their voices to recede before he walked up the unfamiliar stairs. Like a beacon calling him home, Elena's scent drew Damon toward the room where she lay. Standing outside the open door, Damon waited for her gaze to land on him.

"Hey," he said with a gentle smile.

Hers was weary but just as soft. "Hey."

* * *

><p><strong>What do you think will happen next? Let me know, okay? I'll see you soon! xo<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: TVD belongs to Plec, Williamson, Smith, and 'em, and this story originally came from VioletsAreBleu. I'm just having fun with their ideas :)**

**How do y'all feel about TVD's Season 6 so far? Though I am very much Team Delena, I've gotta say I'm loving all the Bamon action. Their scenes are electrifying and so much fun to watch!**

**Anyhoo, here's chapter six as promised :)**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER SIX<strong>

They stared at each other—tender blue on nervous brown—and the air around them seemed to still.

Neither of them moved or spoke, and Elena wondered how often she would later remember this moment. Though she'd seen Damon more times than she could count, seeing him now, today, after seeing him last night held a significance she could hardly explain, and the depth of it shook her to the core.

"If you think any harder, you'll get a headache," Damon said.

His voice snapped Elena out of her thoughts, and she blinked at him. A smile tugged one corner of his lip upward, and she rolled her eyes. "I'm not even going to ask you to repeat that."

"That's probably best." He crossed the threshold and stopped after a few steps. "Is it all right if I…"

Elena's brow furrowed. "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Don't treat me differently, Damon. You never respected my personal space before, and if you start being all polite and weird because of what happened last night, I won't be able to take it."

Damon was stunned by her reaction and forced himself not to show it. Bonnie said she hadn't said anything about her attack to her friends, yet she'd referenced it with him inside of a minute.

Had he wanted to, he could have mulled over that discrepancy and mined something interesting out of it.

Instead he shrugged with trademark indifference and sauntered into the room. "Rude it is."

She gave a small satisfied nod and made room for him at the edge of the bed. Damon noted his jacket there but didn't comment. He leaned forward, steepling his hands together. "Bonnie said you didn't sleep."

"I'm fine."

"Right." He nodded. "You know, when I feel fine, I like to show it by screaming all night long and keeping everyone in the house awake."

"Don't start with me, Damon."

"Then don't lie to me, Elena." He turned to face her, laying a hand on her blanket-covered knee. "What do you see?"

She shut her eyes tightly and focused on his hand. The silence stretched, but Damon didn't rush her. He knew this was difficult for her and refused to make it harder. Her breathing slowed, her brows knit together, and she balled her fists, gathering strength.

"I see…his teeth. They are so sharp, so long and…" She swallowed hard, exhaling slowly. "And I can feel his weight on top of me, keeping me down…"

"It's okay," he whispered. "I'm here."

She nodded but didn't open her eyes. "And I know it's coming, that he's getting ready to…" She bit her lip, her voice cracking. "And I just lie there, letting him. I just lie there, failing into myself, unable to move or do anything."

"Elena …"

"I didn't fight him, Damon." Tears slipped from her eyes as she looked up. "I was too frightened, too drunk to fight him off, and it's all…"

"Don't." He cupped her face, his blue eyes blazing. "Don't you _dare_ blame yourself for this."

"I'm not. I mean, not the whole thing. I just…when I think of what could have happened, what would have happened had you not been there, and that I didn't even try to fight him off, I just…" Her voice shrank into nothing. "I am so ashamed."

She leaned forward as the dam broke, the top of her head resting against his chest. Damon wrapped his arms around her on instinct, whispering assurances as she cried. His shirt was soon soaked through, but he hardly cared.

He would drown one thousand times a day if it eased her pain.

"I'm sorry." She wiped her nose with the back of her hand as she sat up. "I shouldn't be…"

"Elena, look at me."

She sniffled and swiped below her eyes, eventually meeting his gaze.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of." His voice was dangerously taut, and Elena shivered. "This man who attacked you, who violated your precious body…" His thoughts drifted to Andie, and he looked down. "He was a monster, Elena. And the blame is all his."

Elena watched the shadow fall across Damon's face and couldn't understand it. "Damon?"

"I shouldn't be here." He strode toward the window, looking down on Sheila's abandoned backyard garden. "You should call Stefan."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?"

"Because he's your boyfriend," Damon said with more heat than intended. "And he should be here comforting you and helping you deal with…"

"I can't share this with him." Her defeated tone made Damon turn to face her. "He wouldn't be able to handle it."

"As much as I hate to admit this, I think you're underestimating my brother. His penchant for woodland creatures aside, he's made of pretty strong stuff."

"No. He would blame himself for not being there, say it's his fault my life is plagued by monsters, and I don't need that right now." She shook her head. "And you can't tell him."

His eyes widened. "Elena, you can't expect me to lie about this."

"Damon, please." Her earnest gaze bore into him. "Promise me you won't say anything to Stefan."

Damon ignored the pang of fraternal guilt that pierced his heart. "He won't hear it from me."

She fell back against the pillows in relief. "Thank you."

Her eyes fluttered shut then popped back open, and Damon frowned. "You're exhausted."

"I'll fall asleep eventually." She half-smiled at him, confused by his expression. "What?"

Damon said nothing as he took off his boots. They hit the floor with a loud double _thunk_, and Elena watched him advance toward the bed. He sat beside her atop the bedspread with his back against the headboard and his legs crossed at the ankles.

"You're exhausted," he said softly. "And I can help you. But you have to take off your necklace."

Elena touched the priceless charm, looking into Damon's eyes. "My necklace?"

"I can compel your mind to relax. But only if you want me to."

Elena didn't speak, and Damon braced himself for her doubts, wondering if he had the right to refute them.

But with her eyes fixed on his, Elena reached behind her head and unlocked the delicate clasp. Placing the necklace beside her cell phone on the nightstand, Elena offered him a timid smile. Damon was so awed by her trust that a moment passed before he could speak.

"Lie down," he said.

She placed a plump pillow in his lap and curled up beside him. He grabbed a blanket and bundled her inside it, resting his hand on her head.

"Damon?"

"Yes?"

She burrowed deeper in the safety of his presence. "Thank you."

He didn't trust himself to speak, so he stroked her hair and closed his eyes. He gently probed Elena's mind, searching for the wall of resistance. Finding it, he focused his attention and eased it away with an imagined scene of tranquility. Her parents were there, Jenna and Jeremy, and there were laughs and smiles and plenty of cake. He threw in Bonnie and Caroline for good measure, and to silence the selfish voice inside him, he also added Stefan.

Her body went limp, and a soft sigh left her lips. And with Damon soothing her mind, Elena drifted off into the best sleep of her life.

* * *

><p><strong>See you next week! xo<strong>


	7. Farewell Note

**My dear friends and readers,**

**This decision is difficult to share, but as of today, I am no longer writing for the foreseeable future. Current WIPs are being placed on hiatus, and future/promised stories are also being backburnered. **

**My life has changed a lot over the summer, mostly in good ways. Today I realized those major changes are now requiring me to make some tough choices. And though writing for this fandom has deeply blessed me-particularly as God used it to help me heal from my best friend's sudden death three years ago-I know this season of my life is over.**

**I honestly sensed this coming over the summer but couldn't accept it because I cherish my readers and hated the idea of leaving y'all hanging. Whether by ones or dozens, your reviews made each update worth the effort and a true joy to share. Leaving my stories incomplete, my SP sequel unwritten, and my readers unsatisfied pains me greatly because I know how I've felt when a beloved story goes on hiatus or the author vanishes without warning or explanation. As I couldn't avoid the former situation, I refused to allow the latter. **

**So here I am.**

**I will never meet most of you in this life. We will never talk on the phone or see each other beyond Facebook, if that. But know you have enriched my life in immeasurable ways, and I thank Christ for each and every one of you, praying He shows you how treasured you truly are. **

**Thank you for understanding-though I ****understand if you don't-and be well.**

**xo Denise**

**ps - If you follow me as an Author, I apologize that you'll see this message more than once.**

**ps2 - I'm not deleting my stories/account, so no worries there.**

**Updated: Saturday, October 25, 2014**


End file.
